jjftACTICAL ARBORICULTURE 133 



for logs that were but a short time before considered without value. Old 

 stumps were dug up with which to make veneers, while limbs and short, 

 crooked logs were hauled to the mills and utilized as lumber. But the end 

 soon came. Such a continuous demand upon the forests which had been 

 wastefully destroyed for so many years, with no attempt at renewal by plant- 

 ing more trees, could have but one result; the beautiful black walnut no longer 

 to be had for commercial purposes was replaced by oak, birch and other 

 woods, and is now seldom used as a cabinet wood. 



In the California exhibit, in Forestry Building, were two immense boards 

 of walnut, highly polished, which have an interesting history. 



There is one walnut which is indigenous to California, Juglans Californica, 

 having smooth shell and a small nut. 



l>ut the boards mentioned are from the eastern walnut, Jiiglans Nigra, the 

 seed of which was planted by a Mr. Taylor about 1848, the nuts having been 

 brought from the Eastern states. 



One board is 36 inches wide and nine feet long; another being 40 inches 

 wide. The figure is excellent. The tree grew in Yolo County, not far from 

 Sacramento. The rate of growth in this tree was nearly three quarters of an 

 inch diameter per annum, which is far greater than the walnut increases in 

 the Middle and Eastern states. 



If California can secure and maintain such timber growth it will be a 

 most profitable field for an investment. 



In a natural forest seed bed, with shade and abundant mulching of fallen 

 leaves, the surface soil mellow and in the best condition for the young plant, 

 it makes very rapid growth. 



Under cultivation, these conditions should be secured by thoroughly stirring 

 the soil for several years, often enough to keep down all grass. 



While the writer was living on the prairies of Kansas some years ago, 

 it was quite difficult to obtain nuts for planting, but on almost every farm in 

 the older States are trees from which several barrels of nuts could be obtained 

 in the fall after the first heavy frost. Preferably, the outer hull should remain 

 on the nuts if for seed. 



Corn or other farm crops may occupy the space between the rows for 

 several years, thus reducing the cost of cultivation. 



There are numerous walnut trees which have grown in fence rows on 

 Western farms, making large trees in from twelve to twenty years, sufficient 

 for milling purposes except for length of body. A grass sod, however, soon 

 stunts the walnut, from which it never recovers. Other trees do not thrive 

 well in close proximity to the walnut, hence the various species should be 

 planted separately. 



GREAT WALNUT TREES GROW IN PRAIRIE STATE. 



That there is enough walnut timber in Nebraska to warrant the existence 

 of a company for its exclusive handling is something of a surprise to those 

 wont to think of Nebraska as a prairie State. 



It is a fact, however, that there is a considerable growth of walnut trees 



